Armored car



A. DAVIS, JR

Aug. 14, 1945.

ARMORED GAR Filed April 15, 1942 Patented Aug. 14, 1945 The presentinvention relatesto armor-edbodies dor..tanks, squad cars and tractors,andis particularly directed to improvements in the construction anddisposition of parts for bodies :of mobile war units. ,7 I 1 ,An objectof the invention is to provide a com- .bat car body which is constructed.irom fiat sheets of armoured plate and which presents all of saidplates to gun fire at effective, incident angles thereto, i

. Another object of the invention is ;to provide an armored bodyconstructed of substantially .fl-at plates wherein tolerances need .notbe .accurate,

and therefore manufacturing steps need not be-di- Lected to the size of.:the plates comprising the armoredbody. f v i z Another object of theinvention is to providean armored bodylwhich offers effective protection.to its crew against gun .fire even froma relatively high caliber, gunby ..means of a 'minimum .of

armored plate and materials. t

; .A .further object of the invention is to-provide a body constructionwhich protects the crew and ammunition therefor against gun fire from.positionsabove it, such as from airplanes or .theflike.

' .Astill further object .of-the invention .is -.to vpro- .vide acomparatively lightarmored body which is simple to manufacture, requiresa .minimum of materials, and provides adequate protection .to theoccupants therein.

Other objects will be apparent from lthe .following specification anddrawing illustrating a preferred embodiment of myinvention, in which;

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of my car body adapted for use as a squadcar. Fig. 2 i anenlarged cross-sectional view taken line 2--2 ofFigJ.Fig. .3 is an enlarged detail view in-cross-section'showinga centrallylocated connection between" the exterior and interior Walls of myarmored body.

Fig. 4 is a fragmental, top plan view of the s'quad'p'ar :of' Figure 1showing a modified front therefor. I v

"embodiment of my invention consists of an armored i body '5 supportedupon alconvent'ional chassis consisting of two spaced longitudinal framemembers '6 (Fig. '2) which carry at their forward ends a motor (notShown) and which is mounted at'the 'front and rear portions thereofon"'transverse axles through spring suspension members; said axlescarrying traction wheels! in cor' ventional manner. 'The armored body'is illllslfra'ted asfhaving rectangular .form in plan, butmayjbefhexagonalprj any other desired shape,

and hasa tapered hood 8 for housineandpm .tecting themotor for the car.The rforward ehd of the body is provided with the usual steers: manfsoutlook windows Qand-sidedoorz land has a rectangular openin 41 in itstopside'so thaha crew may operate guns -12 mounted therein.

A modified -form of Ta vhood' iorimycombatmtr is shown in Fig. A wherein:a wedge-shaped armored plate 10 is mounted in front of theradiatorrgrill 8-0 for thecar eandsis vertically co.- extensivetherewith to protect (the motor from gunfire directed at; thecar .irom:in {front rfifjrit. The plate permits an to enter the g-rillirom thetop andthe bottom portions, but these openings may be shut oil .orelosedbyextending the hood plates forwardly to the plate to pontorm withvaryingmotor coolingsystems, l he side walls [3 :and I4 :and the rearwall d5 of thearmored body are welded rtogethertalong their adjacent edgs land are formed inidentioal manner. As shown in Figs. 2 andfi,eachfsidezis constructed from a number Of sheets of armored plate andconsistsof an exterior ,up--

standing wall 46 having a projecting horizontal rib :I I-disposedsubstantially;centrally of thetwall.

An upperplate l8 and a lower plate 1&9 15116 con,- nected alongtheiradjaeentredgesat said -,rib -,por,- tion ITto an I-:beam.-2-0'whichextends theienfii le length of :the rib..-l1. .The adjacentedgesgoff-the plates (-8 :and 19 :are separately weldedetotthe flange 2!of the .I-beam and, :as shown :at 24.! in ,3, the:space between thewelds iforqsaid relates is again welded in a conventional-manner. -Ltwill be noted that the exteriorwall 1 6 zbulgesa mt wardly so as to-f0rm an obtuse interior angleibee tween theplates J8 and l-9yzat thesh'l. Aims .plate 22 iseonnected to .the topiedgelofithe u per plate l8by a T-beam 23 to which therad-iacent 'edges of the upper plate .and thetop golate :are welded, as indicated at 724, the bottomzportion ofthelower plate 1 .9 serving asset lprotectlvesskirt 2.5 .for theunder-carriage and :chass'is :of the scar,

"Spaced interiorly from the wall i6 is anzinterior wall "2 6 also havinga projecting rib '42! which is adjacent and parallel to the rib 1 I ofthe exterior wall. The wall is formed 'by an upper flat plate 28 and alower flat plate 29 which-are weldedat the rib '21 to an angular flange'80 of the I- beam 20. shown in Fig. 2, the plates28 and29 arepositioned relative to oneanother .so as *to :form

an obtuse angle between them which is smaller than theohtuse anglebetween .the plates 18 and IQ .of the exterior wall [6 whereby ltherespetive upper and lower plates of {the walls Jane-sinned} parallelrelationship and diverge outwardly from their respective ribs.

The body is provided with a fiat floor or platform 3| which is welded asat 32 along its marginal edges to the lower edge of the plate 29 of thesides l3, l4 and I5. The floor is braced by a number of spacedtransverse angle irons 33 which are welded to the bottom surface of thefloor 3|, I-beams 34 being welded to the angle irons andresting upontheframe members 6. U-bolts 35 are employed for fastening the I-beams 34 tothe two, spaced longitudinal frame members 6 of the chassis.

outer wall is reinforced by brace members 36,

which are welded at their lower ends to the lower edge of the skirt andat their upper ends welded to the channel irons 33 of the floor.

It will therefore be noted that an all-welded armored body is providedwhich has a number of fiat plates, each presenting an effective angle ofincidence to gunfire. As most clearly shown in Fig. 1-, horizontallytraveling bullets or shrapnel will, after striking the sides l8 and- IQof the tank, be deflected in an upward and downward directionrespectively, and will therefore tend to ricochet off the plates. It iscontemplated using a quarter inch armored plate for the combat carillustrated to effectively prevent gunfire from reaching the crew ofsaid car. A reinforcing wall'or walls are provided interiorly of theouter wall which is also constructed of flat plates set at an angle tothe gunfire. The relation of the plates of the reinforcing wall relativeto the outer wall is shown in Fig.2 Whereinthe reinforcing wall presentsagreater angle of incidence than the outer-wall to horizontal gunfire inthe event said fire penetrates theouter wall of the combat car. Becauseof the construction and disposition of parts of the plates the combatcar can be .made extremely light'in weight and yet effectively protectits crew members. r

Whatis claimed is: k

1. A body for an armored car having each side formed of an'exterior,upstanding wall havinga projecting, horizontal rib, disposedsubstantially centrally thereof and dividing said wall intoan upper'anda lower portionfsaid portions forming obtuse, interior angle betweenthem at said rib, anda reinforcing wall, spaced interiorly from saidexteriorwall'and having a projecting rib adjacent to andparallel' Withsaid first mentioned rib,"and comprising an upper and a lower portionformed in the reinforcing' -wall' by the rib and having a more" acute,interior angle between them than said first mentioned angle whereby therespective upper and lower portions of the 'wallswill be disposed innon-parallel relationship, diverging outwardly from the ribs. 7 v

2. A body for an armored car having a number of connected, upstandingsides constructed of substantially flat sheets of armored plate, eachexterior wall therefor havinga projecting, horizontal rib, substantiallycentrally: thereof, upper andlower plates connected alonga'djacent'edges at said rib and forming an obtuse, interior anglebetween them, and a reinforcing wall spaced in.- teriorly from saidexterior wallandhaving a projecting rib adjacent to and parallel withsaid first mentioned rib; and comprising an upper and a lower platejoined along adjacent edgeslat said rib and forming between them a moreacute',' interior angle than the first mentioned angle, whereby therespective upper and lower plates'ofithe'wallsare disposed innon-parallel relationship diverging outwardly from the ribs. if

The skirt of their!) .:lower plates joined at the rib along theiradjacent,

' longitudinal edges and forming between them an obtuse angle greaterthan the first mentioned angle, and an integral skirt on the lowerexterior plate depending below the intersection of said platform and thelower interior plate.

. 4, A body for an armored car constructed of substantially flat sheetsof armored plate, said body comprising a flat platform, an interior,reenforcing wall having a projecting, horizontal rib substantiallycentrally thereof, upper and lower plates'join'ed at the rib along theirlongitudinal, adjacent edges, and forming an interior obtuse anglebetween them, means for'fastening the bottom edge of the lowerplate tothe edge of the platform, and an exterior wall spaced from the interiorwall and having a projecting, horizontal rib adjacent the firstmentioned rib, upper and lower plates joined at the rib along theiradjacent, longitudinal edges and forming betwen them an obtuse anglegreater than the first mentioned angle, an integral skirt on the lowerexterior plate depending below the intersection of said platform and thelower interior plate, and a narrow, horizontal shelf, fastened atitsouter edge to the upper edge of the outer wall, said upper plate of theinterior wall being'joined along its top edge to the underside of theshelffinter mediate its longitudinal edges. 5, A body for an armored carhaving an exterior upstanding walbcohstructed of substan-' tially flatsheets. of armored plate, eachside having a projecting, horizontal ribsubstantially centrally' thereof, a longitudinal I beam interiorly ofthe wall at the rib, upperand lower sideplates weldedalong adjacentedges to the] exterior flangeof the beam and'fo'rming an obtuse,1interior anglebetween them, and *a reenforcing wall, spaced interiorlyfrom said exterior walla'nd havin'gfa projecting rib adjacent to andparallel with said first mentioned rib; and comprisingian upper and alower plate Welded along adjacent edges to the inner flange of theI-beam and forming between them a smaller interior, angle than the firstmentioned angle whereby therespective upper and lower plates of thewalls are disposed in non-parallel relationship diverging j outwardlyfrom their I-beam connections.

.6. A body for an armored car having 'ariJexter'ior, upstanding wallconstructedv of substam tially fiat sh'eetsof armored plate, eachsidehaV- ing a projecting, horizontal rib substantially;centrallyj'thereof, a longitudinal I-beam interio'rly of the wall atgthe rib,upper and lower side plates welded along adjacent edges to theexteriorflang'c of the beam and forming an obtuse,interior angle betweenthem, areinforcingwall, spaced interiorly from said exterior wallandh'aving a projecting rib adjacent to and parallel withsaid firstmenti'oned ,rib, and comprising an upper-and a lower plate welded alongadjacent edges to ,thefinner flangeof'the I -'beam andformingibetweenftliem a smaller interior angle thanthe first mentionedangle whereby the respective upper and lower plates of the walls aredisposed in non-parallel relationship diverging outwardly from theirI-beam connections, a T-beam welded to the top interior surface of theouter wall, and a narrow horizontal shelf welded along its adjacent edgeto the T-bea'm.

7. A body for an armored car having an exterior, upstanding wall with aprojecting, horizontal rib substantially centrally thereof dividing saidwall into fiat portions disposed in different planes, and a reinforcingwall spaced inand exterior walls diverging from each other outwardlyfrom the ribs.

8. A body for an armored car having an exterior, upstanding wall with aprojecting, horizontal rib substantially centrally thereof dividing saidwall into, flat portions disposed in different planes, a reinforcingwall spaced interiorly from the exterior wall and having a rib adjacentand parallel to the first mentioned rib, to divide the Wall into twofiat portions in different planes, adjacent flat portions for theinterior and exterior' walls diverging outwardly from the ribs, and abeam welded to the interior surface of the wall adjacent the rib and tothe exterior surface of the reenforcing wall adjacent its rib.

AUGUSTINE DAVIS, J R.

